Only 67,000 adults in Karnataka have taken Covid-19 booster dose

Only 67,000 adults in Karnataka have taken Covid-19 booster dose

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, May 05, 2022: Only 67,422 adults aged 18-59 years have taken the booster dose for Covid-19 in state, according to the daily official bulletin on April 30.

 

The number of over-60s who have taken the precautionary dose is 10,78,240.

As per the Co-WIN dashboard, as opposed to 5,05,32,394 who have taken the second dose in the state, only 17,43,981 have taken the precautionary dose.

While the number of eligible people who can take the third dose changes every day based on whether nine months have passed after the second dose, the anticipated fourth wave isn’t compelling people to take a booster as the state reports a daily average of 110 cases and the test positivity rate has ranged between 0.9% and 1.1%.

On January 10, the government introduced free precautionary doses for healthcare workers, frontline workers and over-60s with co-morbidities at government health facilities.

On March 14, the condition of comorbidity was exempted for the over-60s.

On April 10, the Centre introduced paid precautionary doses for all adults aged 18-59 years at private Covid vaccination centres.

Government vaccination centres are yet to introduce it for free for this age group.

A suggestion to this effect was reportedly shot down in a recent meeting between the chief minister, the Technical Advisory Committee and government officials due to the huge bill (Rs 100 crore if all adults aged 18-59 years are to be given free booster doses in government facilities) it entails.

A district-wise breakup of precautionary doses administered to the 18-59 age group shows several districts drawing a blank.

The poor performers are Ballari, Bagalkot, Hassan, Raichur, Mandya, Bidar, Chitradurga, Kolar, Haveri, Koppal, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagar,  Chamarajanagar and Yadgir (all 0 doses); Tumakuru (1), Gadag (1), Vijayapura (14), Kalaburagi (42), Bengaluru Rural (77), Uttara Kannada (79) and Chikkamagaluru (91),  

Only 10 districts have administered doses in triple digits or more.

The public perception that there is no risk in not taking a booster dose — because the worst of the pandemic is supposedly over — is playing truant in the health department’s push to encourage people to get the precautionary dose.

‘Reduce time gap’

Reducing the gap between second and third doses may help increase booster dose numbers, said experts.

Infectious disease expert Dr Ishwar Gilada tweeted: “Please ensure gap for precaution dose is reduced to six months (that has a scientific base), from the empirical nine months. With 20 crore vaccines lying at vaccination centres, precaution doses must be administered for free, in addition to the paid doses.”

Courtesy: Deccan Herald